X TRANSCRIPT of the MINUTES of the STATED MEETING
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
1 CITY COUNCIL CITY OF NEW YORK ------------------------ X TRANSCRIPT OF THE MINUTES of the STATED MEETING ------------------------ X January 23, 2020 Start: 1:17 p.m. Recess: 3:43 p.m. HELD AT: Council Chambers - City Hall B E F O R E: Corey Johnson Speaker COUNCIL MEMBERS: Adrienne E. Adams Alicka Ampry-Samuel Diana Ayala Inez D. Barron Joseph C. Borelli Justin Brannan Fernando Cabrera Margaret S. Chin Costa Constantinides Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. Laurie A. Cumbo Chaim M. Deutsch Ruben Diaz, Sr. Daniel Dromm Rafael L. Espinal, Jr. Mathieu Eugene Vanessa L. Gibson Mark Gjonaj Barry Grodenchik Robert Holden World Wide Dictation 545 Saw Mill River Road – Suite 2C, Ardsley, NY 10502 Phone: 914-964-8500 * 800-442-5993 * Fax: 914-964-8470 www.WorldWideDictation.com 2 Ben Kallos Andy King Peter Koo Karen Koslowitz Rory I. Lancman Brad Lander Stephen T. Levin Mark Levine Farah Louis Alan N. Maisel Steven Matteo Carlos Menchaca I. Daneek Miller Francisco Moya Bill Perkins Keith Powers Antonio Reynoso Donovan J. Richards Carlina Rivera Ydanis Rodriguez Deborah Rose Helen K. Rosenthal Rafael Salamanca, Jr. Ritchie J. Torres Mark Treyger Eric A. Ulrich Paul Vallone Jimmy Van Bramer Kalman Yeger 3 A P P E A R A N C E S (CONTINUED) STATED MEETING 4 1 2 OWEN KATOWSKI: Today is January 23, 3 2020. This the Stated Meeting. We're in the City d 4 Council Chambers, and this is Owen Katowski. 5 MAJORITY LEADER CUMBO: This is Clibourne, 6 burn. 7 UNIDENTIFIED: Clibourne. 8 MAJORITY LEADER CUMBO: Ahuh, 9 [inaudible], OK. Now it's Blakeley? 10 UNIDENTIFIED: Yes, Blakeley. 11 MAJORITY LEADER CUMBO: OK. Hello, hello 12 everyone, good afternoon and welcome to the New York 13 City Council. I am Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo and 14 we are now going to begin the honor of our 15 proclamation ceremony. Will all members that are 16 present please come forward. We have two living 17 legends and celebrities in our midst today. We often 18 talk about and celebrate our actors, our musicians, 19 but today we have the real celebrities, the true 20 heroes of our country, and I couldn't be more proud 21 to have them both here today. I'm so proud that all 22 of my colleagues are here because this is really what 23 America and New York is really about. Today we 24 celebrate the life of a true American hero. Reverend 25 James E. Blakely was born on January 8, 1920 in 1 STATED MEETING 5 2 Arkansas and listed, and enlisted in the United 3 States Navy in September 1939. During the Pearl 4 Harbor attacks he was stationed abroad to the USS St. 5 Louis. And when we heard and he heard of what was 6 happening in Pearl Harbor he immediately sprung. Now 7 many people, when they get that call, your heart is 8 in many different places. But he answered that call 9 with such bravery, tenacity, and courage that we 10 recognize and honor that today. But on top of that 11 he has also seen in his lifetime 100 years. So let's 12 give it up for 100 years of life. [applause] It is 13 not only a blessing, but a great honor. During World 14 War II Reverend Blakely served aboard the USS 15 President Jackson in major combat operations in the 16 Pacific Theater, including the battles of 17 Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, and Marshall Islands and Guam, 18 helping to transport troops to the battlefield and 19 evacuate the dead and the wounded. He served in the 20 US Navy until his honorable discharge in 1945, where 21 he began a new life here in New York City. He 22 resided in my district in Fort Greene, Brooklyn for 23 many years. I understand that you do not live in my 24 district, but you moved before I became a City 25 Council member and I know you would have remained if 1 STATED MEETING 6 2 you knew I was the member. Reverend Blakely has had 3 the pleasure of sharing his stories for the last 75 4 years, continuing to inspire generations of our youth 5 with his amazing story. His perseverance and 6 determination speaks to the quality of his character. 7 We thank you for all that you do. We are honored to 8 share this incredible milestone with you. I also 9 want to honor at this special time, and we are so 10 fortunate, when we announced that this was happening 11 we found out about yet another Pearl Harbor veteran, 12 Clibourne Sowell, and he is happy to celebrate his 13 96th birthday with us here today. [applause] And 14 what a blessing it is that we have reunited these two 15 powerful, courageous and brave men here at the City 16 Council. We recognize the sacrifice that you have 17 made for our country. We are so proud, and we are 18 going to have to come back and present you with a 19 proclamation at a later date. We apologize that we 20 didn't find out about your incredible story. But 21 hopefully this will bring forward more Pearl Harbor 22 veterans who have sacrificed so much for our country. 23 So we will now turn it over. Today we are going to 24 have, ah, the proclamation read onto the record. 25 1 STATED MEETING 7 2 COMMITTEE CLERK: Council City of New 3 York Proclamation. The New York City Council is 4 proud to celebrate the 100th birthday of Reverend 5 James E. Blakely, one of the last surviving African 6 American veterans of World War II and the attack on 7 Pearl Harbor. And whereas James E. Blakely was born 8 on January 8, 1920, in Arkansas and enlisted in the 9 United States Navy in September 1939, on the morning 10 of December 7, 1941, he was stationed aboard the USS 11 St. Louis in Pearl Harbor when the call to battle 12 stations blared. The Japanese had launched a 13 surprise attack. Awoken by the all hands on deck 14 order, he began running ammunition to anti-aircraft 15 guns. Thanks to the courageous work of Reverend 16 Blakely and the other crew members, the USS St. Louis 17 evaded torpedoes and joined other vessels in the open 18 sea. When the USS St. Louis returned to Pearl Harbor 19 Reverend Blakely helped transport causalities and 20 other troops to San Francisco. The attack on Pearl 21 Harbor ended the same day it began, but it would 22 inform the rest of his life. And whereas later 23 during World War II Reverend Blakely served aboard 24 the USS President Jackson in major combat operations 25 in the Pacific Theater, including the battles of 1 STATED MEETING 8 2 Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, the Marshall Island, and Guam, 3 helping to transport troops to the battlefield and 4 evacuate the dead and wounded. And whereas in 5 October 1945, one month after the war ended, Reverend 6 Blakely was honorably discharged and began a new life 7 in New York City. For several years he worked as a 8 longshoreman in the docks under the Williamsburg 9 Bridge before accepting a maintenance position at 10 NYU. And whereas in the 75 year since World War II 11 Reverend Blakely has often shared his experience with 12 others, like his peers in the greatest generation, he 13 persevered through unprecedented and very difficult 14 years. Such perseverance is a testament to his 15 incredible strength of character and an inspiration 16 to others. Today at the age of 100 he deserves to be 17 celebrated [applause], at the age of 100 he deserves 18 to be celebrated not only for his longevity but also 19 for the tremendously positive impact he has had in so 20 many lives. He has truly earned the esteem of all 21 New Yorkers. Now therefore be it known that the New 22 York City Council gratefully honors Reverend James E. 23 Blakely and all other veterans of World War II 24 present in the chambers today for his and for their 25 extraordinary service and enduring contributions to 1 STATED MEETING 9 2 New York City and the nation. Corey Johnson, speaker 3 for the entire council, Laurie A. Cumbo, majority 4 leader, council member, 35th District, and many other 5 members of the New York City Council. [applause] 6 MAJORITY LEADER CUMBO: Wow, what an 7 honor here today. We have two giants in our midst 8 today, and I wanted to know if anyone from either, 9 ah, Mr. Clibourne's family or Mr. Blakely's family 10 would like to speak on behalf of these two great 11 veterans that are here in our midst today. 12 REVEREND BLAKLEY: Yeah, I'm working on 13 my second one hundred, um-hmm. I [inaudible] yeah, 14 bring 'em on, boy. They didn't do anything but wake 15 up a sleeping giant [chuckles]. Yeah, God bless you 16 all. 17 MAJORITY LEADER CUMBO: Thank you. 18 [applause] Mr. Sowell, would you like to bring some 19 remarks? 20 CLIBOURNE SOWELL: [inaudible] seagoing 21 tub. I never saw the kind of action like he did. 22 But I was on my way to Pearl Harbor when the war hit, 23 so, ah, from ah, yeah, to Pearl Harbor. Then I was 24 sent to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and I was quite a few 25 1 STATED MEETING 10 2 places, and I never saw action like he did, yeah.